Firecracker Fried Chicken

Whisk together chili sauce, red pepper jelly, gochujang sauce, vinegar, garlic paste, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, and cayenne in a large bowl; set aside.

Combine 1 cup rice and 2 cups water in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring contents to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Heat oil to 350° in a deep-fat fryer or 6-quart Dutch oven suitable for deep-fat frying. Follow instructions for quantity of oil in deep-fat fryer. For Dutch oven, use at least 2 inches of oil.

Whisk together flour, corn starch, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs in another medium bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Dip chicken pieces, a few at a time, in flour mixture; shake off excess. Then dip in eggs and again in flour mixture.

Carefully drop half of the coated chicken pieces, one at a time, into the hot oil. Fry 12 to 14 minutes or until coating is crisp and chicken reaches 165°. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

If desired, add sliced Fresno chile slices to hot oil. Fry 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp; drain on paper towels. To serve, add hot fried chicken to chili sauce mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with fried Fresno chile slices and green onions, if desired.